Sony has announced a price hike for the recommended retail prices (RRPs) of PlayStation 5 consoles across several regions, including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The decision comes in response to the current "challenging economic environment," characterized by high inflation rates and fluctuating exchange rates. The new pricing strategy was officially confirmed through a detailed post on the PlayStation Blog.
Starting from April 14, the updated RRPs will be as follows:
- Europe: PS5 Digital Edition – €500 (The price of the standard PS5 with a disc drive remains unchanged.)
- UK: PS5 Digital Edition – £430 (No changes for the standard PS5 with a disc drive.)
- Australia: Standard PS5 with disc drive – AUD $830, PS5 Digital Edition – AUD $750
- New Zealand: Standard PS5 with disc drive – NZD $950, PS5 Digital Edition – NZD $860
It's worth noting that the price of the PS5 Pro remains unaffected by these changes.
This marks the second wave of price increases for the PS5, following similar adjustments made in 2022. As a result, the cost of owning a PS5 has significantly risen in many territories compared to its initial launch prices. In Europe and the UK, the PS5 Digital Edition has seen a €100/£70 increase from its original price of €400/£360. In Australia, the standard PS5 has gone up by AUD $80 from AUD $750, while the digital version has increased by AUD $150 from AUD $600. Similarly, in New Zealand, the standard PS5 is now NZD $130 more expensive than its launch price of NZD $820, and the digital edition has risen by NZD $210 from NZD $650.
Interestingly, amidst these increases, the RRP of the PS5 disc drive is actually decreasing to €80/£70/AUD $125/NZD $140, providing a slight relief to consumers looking to purchase this component separately.
